They Always Were The Strongest
by controlled climb
Summary: Five teachers. A school of magic. Five moments. They always were so strong.
1. M McGonagall

Written for the iPod Challenge.

**Day Four.**

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_When it's in your spine, like you've walked for miles  
And the only thing you want is just to be still for a while_

Beside You

(Marianas Trench)

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Being a professor at Hogwarts meant many things. For Minerva McGonagall at this moment in time, it meant keeping her students safe. In the midst of a war, this was an impossible task. However, Minerva kept her mind set on her task, and wasn't going to be distracted. Being one of the better witches, she had her own battles to fight, of course, and was trying to take down several Death Eaters whilst keeping a watchful eye on her students – old and new.

Whenever she had a moment to spare, which wasn't very often, or when she was taking a few split seconds to catch her breath, she took a while to admire the younger one's work. They really were quite impressive. The hexes being used were advanced, and they were against older, skilled wizards and witches. Minerva had at first thought the battle was a lost cause, considering that the majority fighting were still in school, but after seeing the way the battle was going, a small glimmer of hope lit in her heart.

"Stupefy!" she yelled, pointing her wand at yet another Death Eater's chest. When would this madness end? It had taken far too long to get the younger students out of the castle, and now they were battling. They were battling for _death_. No one was showing any mercy, and even Unforgivables seemed to be shooting past like any other spell.

_Stay calm. Stay calm. You can do this. For the students, Minerva. Stay calm. Stay calm!_

Yes, that was exactly what she had to do. Stay calm. Not only for the students though – for herself. Ever since the death of Dumbledore she had been on the edge, and her picture-perfect image was crumbling around her.

It's when she saw little Colin Creevey being craddled by Oliver Wood when the wall finally fell. She was meant to have sent him out. How could he have come back in? It was _her_ fault. After he'd been laid next to the many other bodies – some students, some teachers, some adults, and mostly friends – Minerva sat in an abandoned corridor. And as she wrapped her bony arms around herself, and tears slipt dow her wrinkled cheeks, time stood still. They'd won the war – it was over.

It was all over.


	2. F Flitwick

Written for the iPod Challenge.

**Day Five.**

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_Tell me when I'm gonna live again_

_Tell me when this fear will end_

_Tell when I'm gonna feel inside_

_Tell me when I'll feel alive_

Rebirthing

(Skillet)

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Filius Flitwick was a smart man. Even before Hogwarts, and being placed in Ravenclaw, he knew he was smart. It was in the year 1991 when he felt, for the first time in his life, rather… unsure.

Harry Potter had arrived.

Filius, as before mentioned, was not stupid. He had heard about the story of Lily and James, and knew about the whole ordeal. He also knew that no one could survive the killing curse. Well, he thought he knew that, but seeing the young Mr. Potter in real life had really shaken him, and he even repeated the name out loud a few times – just to make sure, of course.

For as long as he could remember, his skill in magically dueling had kept him safe, even though he was very rarely in grave danger, and for such a young, uneducated _baby_ to fight off a curse that nobody else could… It frightened Filius a great deal.

There were rumours by the second year of Harry Potter's return to the Wizarding world. There were lots of rumours. Rumours that You-Know-Who was getting stronger. Filius tried – he tried _so_ hard – to ignore those damn rumours. Instead, he threw himself into his work. And when the rumours were too realistic to ignore, he followed by the Weasley twins' example and tried as hard as he could to make his classes _fun_. Anything to get a smile out of his worried students.

Eventually it all became a running routine. He just did these things _automatically_.

Get up. Go to breakfast. Teach classes. Get lunch. More classes. Get dinner. Mark assignments. Go to bed.

It all just _happened_. Then again, it was easier then getting caught up with the **Potter Problem**. Anything was better than that. He was going to go through life, and not worry. Bad things happened to people that worried – very bad things.

Ginny Weasley didn't worry though. She ended up being possessed by You-Know-Who. She was _taken_.

"… Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever," Minerva McGonagall finished, paling with every word.

Filius Flitwick paled too. And he began to worry. Then, with no warning whatsoever, he burst into tears.

He was smart. He knew the worst was yet to come.


	3. C Binns

Written for the iPod Challenge.

**Day Six.**

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_I've been waiting a long time_

_For this moment to come_

_I'm destined for anything at all_

Waiting

(Green Day)

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He had spent his whole life, and after life, waiting. He wasn't sure what for, although he was fairly certain that he wasn't hanging about because of his students' _desperate desire_ to learn about the history of magic. He attended each class with no change – simply reading from the text and occasionally making his own notes. Nobody noticed him as he added his own opinions, and just for the hell of it, Cuthbert Binns added more and more of his opinions into his lessons, and eventually, that's all the students were learning. Well, the ones that managed to stay awake, anyway.

"Cuthbert!" Poppy Pomfrey screeched, her usually tidy hair escaping the bun that sat on the top of her head. "The battle! The battle! I've got to help the injured… _Cuthbert_ _Binns_!"

"Go, Poppy," Cuthbert deadpanned, not looking up from the assignments he was marking. "I shall be there shortly."

Madam Pomfrey stared at him for several moments, before shaking her head almost sympathetically, and walking away. It was when she had left the room when Cuthbert dared to lift his eyes. What battle? Since when was there going to be a battle? Oh. Maybe she was talking about that student… what was his name again? That Perkins boy… Barry… no, no, that couldn't be right. Harry? Yes, Harry! That was his name. Well, they could have a jolly good time at the battle, for all he cared.

With that, Professor Binns looked went back to looking over the piece of parchment. Only about ten more students to go – not too shabby.

_Maybe I should go to that battle_. _You know, help out for once_.

It wasn't as if he was useless, but he was often forgetful, and tended to fall asleep in the middle of lectures. Despite what some people seemed to think, he did actually hear what they all said about him. _History of Magic is so boring. Merlin, I hate that class. Still, it's good for a sleep – not like ol' Binnsy will notice, eh?_

For so long, Cuthbert had wanted to make his mark – prove that he wasn't just an old ghost that taught the most boring subject at Hogwarts. Maybe this battle was the way to do just that.

So, placing his quill down with an exaggerated yawn and drifting across the staffroom, he made his way towards the midst of battle cries. It was time to make his mark.

It was time for Cuthbert Binns to prove himself.


	4. S Trelawney

Written for the iPod Challenge.

**Day Seven.

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_I try to find a better life,_

_Somewhere far away from here,_

_But I need you to believe in me._

Fade Away

(12 Stones)

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She could have warned them. Sybill knew that it was going to happen. She had seen it – seen the flashing lights and heard the piercing screams of horror – in her precious crystal ball. It wasn't her job to tell though, and she knew they wouldn't believe her anyway, so she kept her trap shut. What was the point in even trying these days? They all thought she was a _fraud_ – those idiots. She wanted to prove that she wasn't, and that Sybill Trelawney was a great seer, but it wasn't as if anyone stuck around long enough to listen.

Though, as she watched far too many innocent people fall to the floor - lifeless - she couldn't help but think she had made mistake. Maybe she should have told people what she had seen in the crystal ball. She had known the battle was going to happen, and she'd known all the important details. Why, oh why, hadn't she told anyone? She could have saved _so many_ lives.

People were dropping like flies. She'd known it was going to happen. Maybe, just maybe, she could have stopped it.

Sybill lived the rest of her life wondering, _What if?_


	5. P Sprout

Written for the iPod Challenge.

**Day Eight.

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_A fight was all she needed_

_To give her reason_

_She slammed the door with no goodbye_

_And knew that it was time_

She Walked Away

(Barlow Girls)

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Everyone knew that when Harry Potter came to Hogwarts that things would change, and most people were guessing for the worst. Pomona Sprout was no exception, and seven years after the famous child had walked into her classroom for the first time, she found herself in the middle of a war.

Oh, she didn't blame him – not at all. He was only a little kid, how could she blame him? His destiny had been thrust upon him, and had he ignored it, he probably would have destroyed the Wizarding world. Pomona respected him for that. Still, she couldn't help but wish that he hadn't arrived at Hogwarts.

Everything had changed. At the moment, she was fighting for her _life_, and everybody else's, apparently. After so many years of being frightened of the heightening evil, Pomona was, in the strangest way, pleased that the great battle had finally begun. The building up of anxiety had collapsed, and now everyone was left with, well, nothing. They were simply acting on impulse and shooting spells everywhere.

There was complete silence when the battle ended. It didn't last long though, and soon strangled cries and yells were echoing through the halls. For Pomona, this was the final straw. She had fought along side her colleagues, friends and students. She had done everything that was required of her, and she wasn't quite sure how much more of that she could take.

The atmosphere of Hogwarts had changed. Even though You-Know-Who was officially _dead and gone_, the discomfort was thick in the air. Pomona no longer felt _safe_ at Hogwarts.

And after leaving the gates that fateful night, she swore never to return.


End file.
